A blog dedicated to coverage of rock news, reviews of CD's/DVD's, live gigs and interviews with musicians who have made rock music great!
Coverage of hard rock, classic rock, AOR and popular melodic rock music across the genre.
This blog is the creation of Alun Williams, a Brit now living in Michigan whose previous credits include writing for the following sites:
www.classicrock.about.com
www.classicrockrevisited.com
and www.rocknrolluniverse.com (Now gone)
I hope you enjoy your visit here!

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Thursday, September 22, 2011

Brief News Update for Thursday September 22nd, 2011

GUNS N’ ROSES ANNOUNCE FIRST U.S. TOUR IN OVER 5 YEARS!

TWO AND A HALF HOUR SHOW TO FEATURE ALL THEIR HITS

LOS ANGELES, CA (September 21, 2011) - Guns N’ Roses have announced today they’ll be doing their first US tour in 5 years, kicking off October 28th in Orlando, Florida. The band will perform more than 30 concerts in the U.S. – fueled by Monster Energy - from October to New Year’s Eve. Before hitting the states, GNR will tour Latin America, starting with a sold out, headline slot for the closing day of the Rock in Rio festival in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on October 2nd , for 75,000 fans.

The two and a half hour show played to rave reviews everywhere including South America, Canada, Europe and Southeast Asia, playing close to one million fans worldwide.

Axl Rose started Guns N’ Roses over 25 years ago. Since that time, they have become one of the biggest bands in music history, selling over 100 million albums worldwide. GNR’s“Appetite For Destruction” has sold over 28 million albums in the United States alone.

The band’s most recent release, Chinese Democracy debuted #1 on the charts in thirteen countries. Chinese Democracy was released on Black Frog/Geffen Records in November 2008 and reached 3 times Platinum in Canada, Platinum in Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Poland, Romania, Switzerland, UK, Argentina, New Zealand and South Africa. The album is Gold in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Greece, Hungary, Holland, Sweden, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Brazil and Colombia. In the U.S., the album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on February 3, 2009.

The tour is scheduled to hit the following cities:

Oct 28 Orlando, FL @ Amway Center Arena

Oct 29 Miami, FL @ American Airlines Arena

Oct 31 Greenville, SC @ Bi-Lo Center Arena

Nov 2 Atlanta, GA @ Phillips Arena

Houston, TX - Date / Venue TBC

Nov 5 Dallas, TX @ Gexa Energy Pavillion

Omaha, NE - Date / Venue TBC

Tulsa, OK - Date / Venue TBC

Nov 12 Kansas City, MO @ Sprint Center Arena

Nov 13 Minneapolis, MN @ Target Center Arena

The following cities are also included on the list, but confirmed dates and venues are still TBC:

Chicago, IL @ All State Arena

East Rutherford, NJ

Hartford, CT

Wilkes-Barre, PA

Worcester, MA

Camden, NJ

Detroit, MI

Cincinnati, OH

Nashville, TN

Indianapolis, IN

Denver, CO

More dates, cities and venue (Confirmation) information to be announced very soon.

AN ECLECTIC COLLECTION OF MAJOR ARTISTS PAY HOMAGE TO ZZ TOP ON NEW ALBUM OUT OCTOBER 11

The music and legacy of ZZ TOP - “That Little ol’ Band from Texas,” that has been part of the world’s musical landscape for over 40 years - will be celebrated with the October 11th release of A TRIBUTE FROM FRIENDS.

The album, to be released by Show Dog-Universal Music, features 11 classic ZZ Top songs interpreted by top-flight artists working in a broad range of musical genres. All of the album’s tracks have been newly recorded, specifically for the project. These include Filter’s performance of “Gimme All Your Lovin’,”Grace Potter & The Nocturnals’ take on “Tush,” as well as Wyclef Jean’s“Rough Boy,”“Legs” from Nickelback and Wolfmother’s interpretation of “Cheap Sunglasses.”

The album kicks off with “Sharp Dressed Man,” from The M.O.B., Mick Fleetwood’s ad hoc group that includes fellow Fleetwood Mac founder John McVie as well as Aerosmith’sSteven Tyler and guitar great Jonny Lang. Fleetwood commented, “We’re delighted to honor ZZ Top this way. Their legacy, like that of the original Fleetwood Mac, is steeped in the blues we all love so much. I know that Steven and Jonny feel as strongly about their legacy as John and I do.”

After Billy F Gibbons, Dusty Hill and Frank Beard, the original--and continuing-- members of ZZ Top were informed that A Tribute From Friends was in the offing, they issued the following statement:

“When we were told there was going to be a ZZ Top tribute album a while ago and logically asked, ‘Who are we paying tribute to?’ Then we found out that a bunch of great artists were paying tribute to us and we were in disbelief. For the past forty or so years, all we've done is get out there and crank it and try to have a good time while doing so. To a great extent, we've succeeded since we're still having a good time so that would be reward enough for ‘the same three guys playing the same three chords.’ Now comes A Tribute From Friends and we're so delighted that our music resonates with these great musicians whom we so admire.”

A Tribute From Friends also includes “Waitin’ for the Bus/Jesus Just Left Chicago” by Daughtry, “Got Me Under Pressure” from Duff McKagan’s LOADED and Mastodon’s version of “Just Got Paid.” Coheed & Cambria contributed the anthemic “Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers” while country superstar Jamey Johnson’s track is the seminal “La Grange.” Of their invitation to be a part of the album, lead singer Chris Daughtry said, “We were completely honored! A classic great band with amazing songs? We're in!” And of ZZ Top’s music, “It's classic! Simple chord progressions, great riffs with hooky choruses...very inspiring to a band like us.”

The co-executive producer of A Tribute From Friends is Carl Stubner, ZZ Top’s manager, who noted, “A Tribute From Friends underscores the legacy of ZZ Top in the most musical way possible and illustrates just how important Billy, Dusty and Frank have been to successive generations. It was a privilege to work with the pantheon of brilliant artists who contributed their efforts and so much love to this project.”

Since Billy, Dusty and Frank founded ZZ TOP on the last day of 1969, the band has been responsible for the worldwide sale of over 50 million records highlighted by many of the very same songs heard on A Tribute From Friends as well many others including “Sharp Dressed Man,” “Pearl Necklace,” “I’m Bad, I’m Nationwide,” “Tube Snake Boogie” and a score of smash hit albums that include the RIAA Diamond Award winning (10 million sold) Eliminator as well as gold and platinum winners Afterburner, Fandango!, Deguello, Recycler, Antenna, El Loco, Tejas, Tres Hombres plus compilation sets. Their hit repertoire, iconic and award-winning videos and massive touring schedule has made them a favorite with audiences throughout the world and beyond – they previewed a track from their forthcoming album aboard the Soyuz space vehicle. They are recipients of the Texas Cultural Trust’s 2011 Texas Medal of the Art and had previously been named “Official Texas Heroes” by the state's House of Representatives. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones in 2004 who cited the band’s remarkable consistency and longevity and, first and foremost, the fact that ZZ Top is “steeped in the blues,” calling them “the heartbeat of the whole country and the heartbeat of rock ‘n’ roll.”

"I've retired more times than Frank Sinatra - but it never last for very long..."

Legendary Whitesnake singer David Coverdale is going to celebrate his 60th birthday on September 22nd. His latest studio record "Forevermore", released on March 25th, shows experience, musical maturity and a personality that is far from jaded after an almost 40 year career. Also it is an evidence that Whitesnake’s career is far from finished, even if Coverdale evoked the end quite a few times in the last years: "I've retired more times than Frank Sinatra - but luckily I didn’t tell many people.” he laughs. "The music business can be so exhausting & destructive on a person, which makes you think sometimes, that you have to step back & take stock of your situation & circumstances",Coverdale confessed.

Today David Coverdale is happy that he never threw totally stepped away. He recently wrote a song called "Best Years" that he says still perfectly fits describes his life with him turning 60 years old. He explains: "It's great that I'm able to still work as a musician. And with it came consistency in my career and also in my private life. I really am experiencing the best times of my life these days, & believe me, I've seen a lot."

"Forevermore" is Whitesnake's eleventh album released on Frontiers Records. The band is still known as one of the most successful acts of all times with several platinum awards. Through his eloquent, always cultivated, British-charming personality David Coverdale is not only known as a rock patron, but a highly regarded gentlemen within the rock business. There are not many other musicians that deal with love and passion in their lyrics like he does. And also there are just a few acts that are able to highlight lyrics perfectly and successfully with thrilling blues and soul anthems like he does.

Before Coverdale, who’s originally from Saltburn-by-Sea area, founded Whitesnake, he was the lead vocalist for Deep Purple. When Coverdale celebrates his 60th birthday on September 22nd he's able to look back at a musical career that is almost 40 years long. "I’m going to celebrate my birthday with my private family & my musical family", he reveals, "I will party several times on several different continents. Even if it sounds a little un-rock & roll, I will use the day to reflect and be thankful for what I achieved in my life so far. I'm incredibly grateful to still be experiencing professional success & to be so physically active in what I do, after all these years."

Black Country Communion's "Live Over Europe" in cinemas on November 1st

For one night only, on Tuesday November 1st at 7:30pm, participating Vue Cinemas will screen Black Country Communion’s debut concert film “Live Over Europe” in high definition and Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound.

“Live Over Europe” was filmed using 14 HD cameras during BCC’s first ever world tour in the summer of 2011. Recorded across three nights in Hamburg, Munich and Berlin, the band’s set includes 18 songs taken from both of BCC’s albums; 2010’s eponymous debut, and 2011’s follow-up album release “2”.

This one-night-only rock and roll cinema experience includes an exclusive filmed introduction from all four members of Black Country Communion, read the full press release here: